1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tool and workpiece change system adapted to a numerically controlled machining center and a pallet pool for replacing a finished workpiece unloaded from the pallet pool with a fresh workpiece and for replacing a defective or damaged cutting tool in a tool magazine of the machining center with a spare cutting tool of the same type.
2. Discussion of the Background
In a conventional system for automatically replacing a finished workpiece on a pallet unloaded from a pallet pool with a fresh workpiece on a workpiece support and for automatically replacing a defective or damaged cutting tool in a tool magazine of a machining center with a spare cutting tool of the same type on a tool support, it is required to provide two robots which are respectively equipped with a hand for grasping a workpiece and a hand for grasping a cutting tool. Such provision of the two robots results in increase of the manufacturing cost of the system.